Soontorn Inthayok is a day laborer and part-time guard, serving as the primary wage earner for his family in Northern Thailand. The 49-year-old provides for his older sister, who is mentally disabled, and for his son, who is attending technical…
Look to church for healing of racial divisions, ministers say
Relationships between churches hold the key to healing the racial divisions and violence that plague the nation, two Dallas ministers say. Bryan Carter, pastor of Concord Church in Dallas, and Jeff Warren, pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas,…
El Paso congregation seeking nones and dones who call the border home
From the outside, the nondescript building in downtown El Paso doesn’t look much like a church. But the converted gymnasium does in fact serve as home to Mesa Place Church. And Christian Gurrola may not look like a pastor to…
For a congregation in Spain, feeding ministry defines identity
Feeding people does more than satiate their hunger. Daniel Banyuls, pastor of Iglesia Evangelica Bautista in Cerdanyola, Spain, can testify to that. “Through this feeding ministry, we are fighting material, educational, emotional and spiritual poverty,” Banyuls said. Banyuls has served…
Minister learns hard lesson: offer professional help for mental health
As Joe Padilla visits with pastors and church leaders about mental health, he often finds hearts willing to help but ill-equipped to do so. After walking through his own personal journey when his wife was diagnosed as bipolar, Padilla realized the church needed…
Texans continue rebuilding from last year’s natural disasters
As Garry Schaffer monitored the quickly approaching storm on his computer, he soon realized he needed to go downstairs to get his wife, Kan, and seek safety in a closet. The couple had enjoyed a nice Christmas the day before…
Cyclists churn out hundreds of miles to eradicate hunger
By Kaylie Lowrie Braving hard rains, 29 cyclists joined a 500-mile bicycle ride from the Texas town of Boerne to Dallas to raise money for the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering and awareness about hunger and poverty around the state and world. The…
Churches join schools to tackle educational challenges
Kalie Lowrie Two years ago, Principal Marta Plata of Manuel Jara Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas, recognized her school needed help. She realized her teachers could work tirelessly every year to educate students and empower them to be their…
Hispanic Baptists seek ways to help border crisis
By Kalie Lowrie The crisis along the Texas/Mexico border caused by an influx of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children into the United States so far this year captured the attention and concern of participants at the Hispanic Baptist Convention of…